Fortuna Dusseldorf vs. Hoffenheim Betting Preview – Bundesliga, June 6

Two sides with very different needs come face to face on Saturday as Fortuna Dusseldorf welcomes Hoffenheim to the Merkur Spielarena.

Dusseldorf is desperately trying to win a few games to escape the possibility of a swift return to Bundesliga 2, and Hoffenheim finds itself in the position of knowing that some good results in the next few weeks could earn a Europa League berth for next season.

This is another closely priced game for BetOnline. Hoffenheim’s recent victories have persuaded the bookmaker that it is a worthy favorite to make it three from three, but the odds for a home win or a draw are not that different. This does seem to be a very evenly balanced fixture, and there are arguments to be made for all eventualities here.

Dusseldorf is just the latest side to come up against the juggernaut that is Bayern and limp away on the wrong end of a heavy defeat. With the almost perennial German champions homing in on yet another title, the 5-0 thrashing at the Allianz Arena was not too much of a surprise.

But Fortuna had actually played quite well in the other games since the resumption of play. Two draws with Paderborn and Koln, followed by a victory over Schalke, had kept Dusseldorf in touch with the teams above as the fight to escape relegation becomes reality. The game last week should probably be discounted when sizing up the chances of getting anything from Hoffenheim.

Losing 3-0 at home to Hertha in the first game back from the extended break doesn’t look quite as an embarrassment for Hoffenheim as it did at the time thanks to the Old Lady’s continued success. Since then, there have been seven points added to the campaign to finish in the top six.

Beating Mainz at the weekend would have been regarded as a necessity for European qualification, but manager Alfred Schrueder will still be pleased with the way his players coped with the disappointment of missing a penalty but came back to win the three points.

There are definitely more attractive fixtures taking place over the weekend in the Bundesliga, but this one could have a big effect on what happens at the top and at the bottom of the table. A draw might not really do either side a lot of good, but with both sides desperate to not lose games in the next few weeks, it could be a very tense affair.

It’s a very even-looking matchup, but the odds for the draw do look like being the best value.